Prophylactic use of lamivudine for hepatitis B exacerbation in post-operative breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy

2011

Using Lamivudine to Prevent Hepatitis B in Breast Cancer Patients

Sample size: 131 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Yun J, Kim K H, Kang E S, Gwak G-Y, Choi M S, Lee J E, Nam S J, Yang J-H, Park Y H, Ahn J S, Im Y-H

Primary Institution: Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine

Hypothesis

Prophylactic lamivudine will reduce the incidence and severity of HBV reactivation in post-operative breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy.

Conclusion

Prophylactic lamivudine significantly reduced the incidence and severity of HBV reactivation in breast cancer patients undergoing anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy.

Supporting Evidence

Prophylactic lamivudine reduced HBV reactivation from 21% to 2%.
Hepatitis incidence decreased from 33% to 9% with lamivudine.
Disruption of chemotherapy was lower in the lamivudine group (3% vs 14%).
Patients receiving lamivudine had significantly less severe hepatitis.

Takeaway

This study found that giving a medicine called lamivudine to breast cancer patients can help stop a virus called hepatitis B from getting worse during their treatment.

Methodology

The study reviewed medical records of breast cancer patients who received anthracycline-based chemotherapy and compared those who did and did not receive lamivudine.